It is the George Foreman, Martina Navratilova and Michael Schumacher of production sports cars – still hungry, still able and still super-competitive, long after logic says it should be feet-up by the fire with a library book and a mug of Horlicks.

There are two main points of focus here – appearance and weight reduction – and changes to the body affect both categories. There’s a new front clamshell with larger apertures and, therefore, less bodywork; and a new rear transom with single, rather than double, light clusters. The diffuser is made from aluminium, which has shed a total of 9kg from the panelling.

Inside, there’s an open-gate gearshift with a shorter throw, claimed to shave off another kilo, while optional carbonfibre sill covers lose 900g.

What next? A no-cost option powertrain? But if this is smoke and mirrors, it’s no more so than the games played by other larger manufacturers.

Most importantly, we shouldn’t let this obscure what really matters: whatever the numbers, the Elise Sprint is a much lighter version of an already exceptionally light car. For a Lotus, that can only be good news.

The styling revisions are a mixed blessing: no one will mistake this renewed Elise for the previous model, and while the new shape is more purposeful, it’s also more aggressive. That said, the car is a little easier to access, thanks to fractionally wider door openings and lower sills if you choose the thinner carbonfibre covers. You’ll notice – and welcome – the new clocks at once, but otherwise it’s very much business as usual.

What's it like?

Time being short, I took first to the track. While the chunky stuff, such as the engine, gearbox, suspension and brakes, are all unchanged, less weight means they all have less work to do. You would, for instance, need to give the engine another 10bhp in order to gain the same improvement in power-to-weight ratio brought by the reduction in mass, which is a lot in a car with only 132bhp. That’s why Lotus can claim a 0.3sec reduction in 0-62mph time, down to 6.2sec. But extra power wouldn’t make it corner any quicker, stop with greater alacrity, or feel more alive in your hands. The weight loss does all of that.

But if you drive it at proper track speed it feels less assured. I don’t quibble with the quite modest performance nor with the fact that its relative lack of torque, mid-engine configuration and lack of limited-slip differential means it’s no kind of drift machine. Less easy to reconcile in a Lotus is the quite pronounced understeer in corners both slow and fast.

I love the fact Lotus has fitted the Sprint with skinny 175-section front tyres, because it makes the car steer beautifully, but an 800kg car with 132bhp and no traction issues does not need a rear tyre fully five sections wider. A 205-section tyre, rather than the 225 fitted, would surely help the car’s balance without compromising grip while saving even more weight in the process. To be fair, there is an Elise Cup for those who wish to thrash around tracks.

Out on the road, the Sprint instantly recovers its composure. The weight modifications bring no revolution even in this environment, however; just a useful sharpening of already well-honed responses. I love the way you can drive it on the throttle without nearing the limit of adhesion just by using weight transference to angle the nose into or away from the apex via the medium of your right shoe.

And I love the fact you so rarely have to slow down for anything - although when you need them, the brakes are astonishingly good for a car wearing such modest front tyres. You just carry the speed, delight in the feel of the steering as that little wheel writhes around in your hand and get back on the power at a point where you’d be scarcely off the brakes in a heavier, less agile and less fluently configured car.

Should I buy one?

Lotus charges £5000 extra for the Elise Sprint over the Sport, and without having driven the latter in its latest iteration, it’s hard to say if the upgrade is worth it. It’s far easier instead to ponder what else, at either price, offers this level of pure driving pleasure as well as enough practicality for hardy types to use for all seasons and reasons.

That was a bad metaphore. Unlike Lotus Elise, all of these athletes have either retired or died. Comparison to Jaromir Jagr would have been better. I can't believe he is still playing in NHL at the age of 45.

The Michael Schumacher mention is a big mistake but that aside what a cracking car the Elise still is. For a 2 seater sports car do we really need anything else? Pure driving pleasure.
The competition should try adding lightness as we would all be better off for it.

As I try to convince myself of all the negatives of owning one, and spending so much money on something so impractical, I can't help but balance all that with the thought of driving one on a nice day down a nice road, also knowing the amount of heritage and expertise that's been put into it.

They hold their value really well second hand too - curses! :-)

Everyone has a right to an opinion - don't confuse that with insulting your mother :-)

Yesterday, a Lotus elite in glorious Gold Leaf colours drove past slowly to the roundabout, then accelerated away in a fabulous throaty exhaust and multi-valve cacophony...
50+ years on it still looked like a bullet on wheels and the epitome of fun on 4 wheels... they don't make them like that any more, pity!